Download Ancient Rome - Freewalt.com

Geography of
Italy and
the Rise of Rome
Geography of Italy
• Located at
42° 50’ N, 12° 50’ E
• Europe
• Boot-shaped peninsula
• Slightly larger than the
state of Arizona
• Only about ¼ of the
land is arable (able to
be used for farming)
Seas Around Italy
• Mediterranean Sea
– the largest inland sea
– between Europe, Africa, and
Asia
• Adriatic Sea
– between Italy and the Balkan
Peninsula
• Ionian Sea
– between Southern Italy (by heel
of boot) and Greece
• Tyrrhenian Sea
– between Italy and the islands of
Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily
• Ligurian Sea
– between Northwest coast of
Italy and the island of Corsica
Neighboring Islands
• Corsica
– southeast of France, north of
Sardinia, and west of Italy
– Birthplace of Napoleon
Bonaparte
• Sardinia
– settled by Phoenicians, Greeks,
and Carthaginians before the
sixth century B.C.
– taken by Rome in 238 B.C.
• Sicily
– the “football” that the boot of
Italy appears to be kicking
– separated from the Italian
mainland by the narrow Strait of
Messina
– largest Mediterranean island
Major Rivers
• Po River
– flows from the Alps near
the French border, through
Turin, and eastward into
the Adriatic Sea
• Tiber River
– flows from the northcentral Apennines, south
through Rome, and into the
Tyrrhenian Sea
Mountain Ranges
• Alps
– located along the north of Italy, along modern-day border
with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia
• Apennines
– run through the center of Italy
Climate
• Mild, “Mediterranean” climate
– Warm, dry summers
– Mild, rainy winters
• The far north is cold and mountainous; the south is rugged,
hot and dry
• Similar to Greece
• Good for growing grapes, olives, and wheat
People of Ancient Italy
• Etruscans lived mostly in northern and westcentral Italy
• Latins lived along the Tiber River. Founded the
city of Rome
Etruscans
• Heavily traded with the Greeks and the
Phoenicians
– Etruscans sent lumber, furs, and probably slaves to the
East
– They bought jewelry, spices, perfume, and Greek vases
from the East
Etruscans
• Lived mostly in northern and west-central
Italy, from the Po Valley to the Tiber River
• Their region was known as Tuscany
• stone walls
• stone temples
• canals and
ditches to irrigate
crops
• Monarchy with
powerful rulers
Latins
• Aeneas, hero of Virgil’s Aeneid
– According to legend….
• Trojan War hero
• After the war,
he traveled to Italy
• Made an alliance
with the Latin tribe
• Helped them conquer
much of Italy
• His family ruled
Italy for centuries
Geography of Rome
• West central Italy
• On the banks of the Tiber River
• Seven Hills
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Quirinal (Quirinalis)
Viminal (Viminalis)
Esquiline (Espuiliae)
Caelian (Caelius)
Aventine (Aventinus)
Palatine (Palatium)
Capitoline (Capitolium)
• Queen Victoria Eyes Caesar's Awfully Painful Corns
Founding of Rome
• Romulus and Remus
–
–
–
–
Descendents of Aeneas
Raised by a wolf !?!?
Leaders of a Latin clan
753 BC
• Established a new settlement on the Palatine Hill along
the Tiber River
• Named “Rome” after Romulus
• Read about the founding of Rome at
http://www.freewalt.com/socialstudies/history/wor
ld/grecoroman/romans/romulusremus.htm
Latins vs. Etruscans
• In early 600’s BC, the
Etruscans conquered
Rome
• They brutally ruled for
over 100 years
• The Latins (the people
of Rome) rebelled
• According to legend,
the last Etruscan ruler,
Tarquin the Proud, was
expelled in 509 BC
Latins
• Latins expelled the
Etruscans
• Regained control
of Rome
• Vowed to never again
have kings rule over
them
• Established the Roman
Republic in 509 BC
– Got the idea for a
republic from the Greeks
– Plato’s book “Republic”